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SCP-017
SCP-017 is the designation given by the SCP Foundation to an anomalous entity nicknamed the Shadow Person, who is made up entirely of a smoke like shroud. The entity is also well known the Serpent's Hand organization, who primarily refer to it as either the Second Lost Child or simply the Second Child, although also by the names Envy's beacon and the pneumbra wanderer. It is similar in size and build to a featureless human child, but uses its shroud like body to envelop anything that casts a shadow upon it. The entity leaves no trace of any object or individual enveloped in this way and returns to its normal size afterwards. Description The humanoid entity designated SCP-017 stands 80cm tall and resembles a human child of one or two years of age with no discernable features. It consists entirely of a billowing, smoke-like shroud, made up of an unknown "god-stuff" which tests have so far failed to identify anything beneath. The risk posed by the SCP becomes apparent when any object or individual casts a shadow upon the entity. SCP-017 immediately attacks, leaping toward the caster of the shadow and envelops them entirely within its shroud, quickly returning to its regular shape and leaving no trace of the enveloped material. History Ancient history The entity designated SCP-017 is the second and most dangerous member of a group known as the Lost Children and appears often in ancient texts, although in most known records and stories it is shown as choosing not to associate itself with other members of the group, who are reported to eventually have been scattered across the earth. No reason for its dissociation from the other children is given in the known literature, and it is never depicted as having acted in a hostile manner to any other Lost Child bar the Fourth. In most stories the second child is used as a symbol of love, mystery and eternal hunger. Some stories also refer to it as a symbol of loneliness, but the Librarians of the Wanderers' Library claim this is incorrect without explanation as to why. Accounts also give flowery descriptions of its appearance and describe it interacting with individuals in ways that do not match up with its behavior or appearance while in Foundation custody. Some accounts also describe the nature of its consistency, but many of these are contradictory. Lost information During the Great Purge much of literature concerning the Lost Children was destroyed following the issuing of the Edict of Karnath, and it became taboo to write about them. Writing about the Second Child was especially taboo for unknown reasons, although the Serpent's Hand speculate this was most likely due to the fact it was the most dangerous. As such much of the ancient knowledge concerning the children has been lost, although some tomes survive in the Wanderers' Library, although not in areas easily accessible to the Librarians. Information gathered about the Second Child from the Librarians themselves is being transcribed by the Serpent's Hands in the Lost Wanderers volumes including the first volume, The Wandering Boy and Other Captives. While the Second Child is known to travel via the Ways while free, it has never been known to enter the Wanderers' Library, and the Librarians are the only entities known to not express fear when discussing it. While the views of scholars on the relationship between the Lost Children and humanity has changed from one of absolute opposition to a more tolerant one, scholarly views on the Second Child have changed little. One tome that survived was the Codex Ratigan, which claimed that the victims of SCP-017 are not killed, but transported by an unknown benevolent god figure to a special paradisiacal afterlife of eternal shadow, described as being the same as the plane of love. The Codex is the oldest record known to the Serpent's Hand, but speaks of contradicting earlier unknown sources. It also portrays the Second Child as unwilling to bestow its favor on anyone, contradicting the Cult of New Umbra's belief that it will lead them to paradise. Another tome that supposedly survived the purge was the Book of Shadows, which the small Cult of New Umbra sought in the belief that it contained knowledge that would help them free SCP-017 from Foundation custody, as the group believed that the entity wished to be freed and would lead those who did to paradise. Other members of the Serpent's Hand believed that the supposed existence of the Book of Shadows might have been a joke played by the Librarians on the cult, as a Librarian had informed the cult of the book's existence when asked about SCP-017, but refused to give any further information. Further evidence for this theory includes the fact that the Librarians are generally known to dislike suicidal cults and that there are 33 separate books named the Book of Shadows listed in the public stacks of the Wanderers' Library. Given that almost all members of the Cult of New Umbra have had their library cards revoked for various small offences, they are unlikely to find it whether it exists or not. The entity was eventually contained by the SCP Foundation in an occult ritual performed by members high up within the organization. According to the reports the Serpent's Hand received, the consequences of the ritual were so terrible that it was removed from all of the Foundation's records and never performed again. The entity was contained in Bio-Research Area-12, which according to the Serpent's Hand was built to guard the abandoned White Heretic's City, a fact that they considered ironic given the natures of SCP-017 and the White Heretic. In Foundation Custody During its containment by the Foundation, SCP-017 was cross-tested with several other SCPs in attempts to try and kill them. When exposed to tissue from SCP-682, SCP-017 absorbed it without incident; however, when exposed to SCP-682 itself, SCP-682 let out several extremely loud roars that extended across several wavelengths as SCP-017 approached it. SCP-017 seemingly stumbled after hearing the noise and then returned to the corner of its cell, leaving SCP-682 to try and breach containment before being suppressed. Analysis of the sounds made by SCP-682 were undertaken by the Foundation, who were unsure if SCP-682 had damaged SCP-017 or communicated with it in some way.Experiment Log T-98816-OC108/682 When exposed to the supposedly immortal entity designated SCP-151 at the time, it attempted to absorb the SCP as normal, extending up SCP-151's shadow after making contact with it. Before SCP-017 could make contact with SCP-151 himself though, he vanished and reappeared outside of SCP-017's containment cell, as recorded by high-speed cameras.Experiment Log 151-D Doctor Jack Bright, the Foundation researcher bound to SCP-963, is expressly forbidden by the Foundation from using SCP-017 to make shadow puppets, even if he is attempting to entertain SCP-053.The Things Dr Bright Is Not Allowed To Do At The Foundation SCP-017 has been in Foundation custody for at least thirty years, in which time it has escaped containment six times but been recaptured successfully on each occasion. The Serpent's Hand were aware of it's captivity and the containment procedures used to hold it, although they were unsure if its containment breaches were purposeful escape attempts by the entity or simply due to flaws in the Foundation's equipment. Due to the fact that all mentions of the ritual originally used to contain SCP-017 were removed from Foundation records, thirty years later most members of the organization had no idea what it had cost contain it, a fact that most members of the Serpent's Hand believed to be a good thing. At this time Serpent's Hand member Elizabeth Dufree was in charge of Serpent's Hand efforts related to SCP-017, and was specifically seeking eye-witness accounts of the entity. Any Hand members who knew the location of tomes concerning SCP-017 in the Wanderer's library were encouraged to contact her if they had a library card and good standing with the Archivists. Containment procedures SCP-017 is kept in Bio-Research Area-12 by the Foundation, contained in an acrylic glass cage measuring 100 cm by 50 cm by 50 cm. The cage is suspended in the centre of a concrete room measuring 6 m by 6 m by 4 m with high-intensity arc lamp spotlights attached to the walls, ceiling and the floor. Each lamp is pointed directly at the cage, exposing SCP-017 to light from every angle at all times. The functionality of the spotlights and the emergency generator system that powers them is monitored from the cell's control room at all times by staff assigned to the entity. Should any light burn out or an issue arise with the generator, the staff are to call maintenance immediately. Staff entering the concrete room to change a burnt out light must wear a full-body reflective suit and are cautioned to avoid stepping in front of any active light. Entry to the room is allowed under no circumstances other than changing the lights. Document #017-1 was a Foundation document concerning SCP-017 that was only available to those with BETA clearance or higher. The Serpent's Hand advised their agents to avoid SCP-017 at all costs, acknowledging that their agents were extremely unlikely to encounter the entity due to its captivity. Should they encounter it and have a chance to react the Hand advised the use of bright lights to keep it at bay. Warning was also given that should the SCP escape, Serpent's Hand safe houses connected to the Ways should be alerted and efforts should be made to combine forces with the Foundation in order to re-contain it. Appearances *Shadow Person *The Things Dr Bright Is Not Allowed To Do At The Foundation *Experiment Log 151-D *Experiment Log T-98816-OC108/682 *The Second Child Notes and references Category:Keter SCPs